In freshwater lakes across the land, baitfish such as live shiners have displaced the worm as the go-to bait. But the worm ...

What hooks one person, of course, may not appeal to another. There are some effective strategies that writers use to act as the 'worm on the narrative fishing rod', to hook a reader in.

Narrative hooks work to capture the reader’s attention – like a worm on a fishing hook attracts a fish. Raising questions or setting a puzzle at the start of a story can create intrigue.

About 8 to 12 inches above the weight is a small hook and a soft plastic worm or minnow. The rig can be fished vertically, or cast out and slowly worked back to the boat similar to a Texas rig. Tying ...